


No Way Out

by TheSleepyProducer



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Tony Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27629558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSleepyProducer/pseuds/TheSleepyProducer
Summary: Tony DiNozzo has been living in Paris with Tali since he retired from NCIS. With the help of Ziva, they have been trying to navigate life through the pandemic as "normal" as possible. That is until Tony catches the Coronavirus.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day. Tony was sitting out at the park watching Tali play on the slides. Tali had been getting restless with having to be inside most of the day. She was not a fan of "virtual classes," she was like her parents, always having to be on the move and doing things. In the evenings Tony was able to get Tali to settle down after dinner and watch a movie. More or less she would fall asleep to the movie. Tony and Ziva shared the parental duties, but when it came right down to it, Tali only wanted to be with Tony. Ziva had been getting therapy in Paris and was making great strides, but she was nothing like the fearless ninja that Tony first met or fell in love with. Tali came running over to Tony.

"Daddy, can I spend the night with Ima?" Tali asked.

Before he could answer, Tali sneezed in Tony's face.

"Tali…remember when we sneeze, cover your mouth and nose. Like this." Tony said as he brought his arm over his nose and mouth.

"Sorry Daddy" Tali looked down.

"It's ok. How about we go get some ice cream and I will text Ima to meet us." Tony told his very happy little girl.

Ziva gladly took Tali for the evening.

"While you have her, I am going to go to the grocery store. Is there anything I can pick up for you?" Tony asked.

"No, I am good." Ziva answered. Big crowds, even in a grocery store scared her.

As Tony walked around the store, he was diligent to wear his mask. He had already had the plague, he didn't want to end up with Coronavirus too. He was over by the produce when he saw a man without a mask on. It was all he could do to hold his tongue and not give the man a piece of his mind. Didn't the guy realize that there were people that were vulnerable to the virus? Instead of confronting the man, Tony just shook his head and finished his shopping. He didn't realize his life was going to change drastically and quickly.

It started several days later when he felt water being poured on his face, causing him to fall out of bed.

"Talk about a rude awakening, Tali. Haven't Ima and I told you not to pull pranks on people when they are asleep?" Tony said rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, it wasn't her you have to worry about." A voice said.

Tony looked up to see Kate standing next to his bed.

"Kate…what are you doing here?" Tony asked.

"What? Can't an old friend drop in to say hello?" Kate pouted.

"Yeah but not when they're dead. Seriously Kate, what is this about?" Tony asked.

"You need to get things in order." Kate said as she sat down on his bed.

"What do you mean? I have my life in order. I retired from NCIS; I have a family. What more could I do to get my life in order?" Tony asked.

"Things are about to change. Make sure Tali will be taken care of. Make any arrangements you need to." Kate said before a voice cut her off.

"You will be joining us soon."

"Jenny." Tony whispered.

"Hello Tony." Jenny said. "Take Kate's advice. You will need it."

Before Tony could ask anymore questions, Tali came into his room to find him on the floor.

"Daddy, are you ok?" Tali asked.

"Yeah baby girl I'm…" Tony was cut off by a severe coughing fit,leaving him gasping for breath when it was over.

"I'm going to call Ima." Tali said before running out to grab the phone.

Tony didn't have the breath or the strength to tell his little girl he was fine, that she didn't need to call Ziva.

Less than ten minutes later, Tony heard Ziva come through the door. He was still lying on the floor with no strength to get up.

"Tony? Are you alright?" Ziva asked as she rushed over to him.

"Just tired." Tony made out before he began coughing again.

"You are burning up. I need to get you to the hospital." Ziva said as she felt his forehead before rushing to call the nanny to watch Tali.

Tony didn't have the strength in him to argue. He knew if he went to the hospital, he wouldn't come back out. Not with his lungs already being damaged... not with COVID-19 spreading like wildfire.

Tali rushed back into the room. She had never seen her daddy struggling to breathe like he was right now, and it scared her. Tony saw his little girl in the room.

"Promise me you will be good and do exactly what Ima says." Tony whispered between coughs. "I love you Tali."

Tali ran over to him and gave him a hug.

"I love you too Daddy." Tali whispered in his ear.

It melted his heart. She had always called him Abba when she was younger. He had been teaching her recently how American children usually called their fathers "Daddy". She had begun calling him Daddy more frequently than not after this, but this morning her consistently calling him Daddy melted his heart.

"Are you ready?" Ziva asked, worry present on her face.

Tony was growing weaker by the moment. Ziva and the nanny helped Tony into the car before Ziva drove at break neck speed to get Tony to the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

As Ziva drove Tony to the hospital, she worried about him. He was gasping for air and there was nothing she could do to help him. She pulled in under the hospital awning in record time. Nurses came rushing out in their PPE to get Tony out of the car and ask questions. Ziva made her way to the other side of the car to help Tony out and go in with him.

"Ma'am has he been showing signs of Covid-19?" a nurse asked.

"He has been coughing, running a fever and is now gasping for air. I should also make you aware that he had the pneumonic plague 15 years ago." Ziva said, causing everyone's eyes to leave Tony and meet hers.

"He what?" a nurse shrieked.

"It was back when he was an NCIS agent. A lady put the plague in an envelope and Tony happened to be the one to open it. It nearly killed him. But he does have severe lung damage because of it." Ziva explained.

"That makes him more susceptible to the virus." The doctor said as he joined the group and heard about Tony's shining medical history. "Let's get him inside. Run a Covid test on him and let's start him on some oxygen at 2 liters."

Ziva went to walk in with Tony but was stopped by one of the nurses.

"Ma'am, I can't allow you into the hospital." The nurse said.

"And exactly why not." Ziva crossed her arms.

"With Covid, we can't allow visitors or families in. After we get him settled and onto the Covid floor, he can facetime you. If you can give me your number, we will have the doctor call you and tell you the results of his test along with what they plan to do next." The nurse explained.

Ziva quickly jotted down her phone number on a small piece of paper for the nurse and handed it back to her.

"Thank you…" The nurse looked at the paper "Ziva. We will do all we can for him."

With that, the nurse turned and went back into the hospital, leaving Ziva standing alone by her car. She felt so lost and helpless. She reached into her pocket and took a few of her anxiety pills. She didn't want to go back to Tony's apartment to get Tali yet. She didn't want to get the call about Tony while being around Tali just in case it was bad news.

She parked her car in the hospital parking lot and waited. She took out her phone and started looking at the pictures of Tony and Tali from while she had been away from them. Tali had grown up so much. Just as Jimmy had told her, Tali had not forgotten her because Tony told her about her Ima every day.

Once Ziva had come back to Paris, she and Tony had met up, allowing Tali to see her Ima for the first time in years. Tony had asked Ziva to move in with them, let them be a family, but Ziva declined. She wanted to get better first. She needed to deal with some of her demons before she could be a full-time mother to Tali. Ziva knew her baby girl was in good hands with Tony, so she decided to check herself into a rehab to get help.

To Tali, Ima had an apartment. She never realized it was a rehab center. The center was built like an apartment complex and would let children come and stay the night with their parents on occasions. Ziva often questioned herself if she was fit enough to be a mother. Tali deserved so much more. She had so much more in Tony. Since he had her, his whole world had changed. He had retired from NCIS, moved to Paris, and was raising their daughter who was his whole world. She was brought out of her thoughts when the hospital called her.

"Ms. David, this is Doctor Jonathan Lejeune I am taking care of Anthony DiNozzo Jr." Dr. Lejeune said.

"Yes, how is he?" Ziva asked nervously.

"He is very sick. He tested positive for Covid-19. We are going to try some antibodies and hope that works along with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. We have him on a nasal cannula now for oxygen. He is on our Covid intensive care unit due to his history with the plague. We will keep a close eye on him and if there are any changes one of our Covid ICU doctors will call you." Dr. Lejeune explained.

"Can I speak to Tony?" Ziva asked, trying to hold back tears.

"At the moment he is resting. I will put a note in that in the morning he can speak to you." Dr. Lejeune answered.

"I would appreciate that, and I know our 6-year-old daughter will too." Ziva wiped tears from her eyes.

"Of course. If you haven't already, go home and get some rest. We will call you in the morning." Dr. Lejeune said before hanging up.

Ziva drove over to Tony's apartment and parked in the visitor's parking spot for his unit. How was she going to explain to her daughter that her daddy didn't have just a simple cold, that this was much worse.


	3. Chapter 3

When Ziva got the courage to walk through the door, Tali jumped off the couch and ran to her and hugged her before looking to see where Tony was.

"Where's Daddy?" Tali asked.

"Your daddy is very sick." Ziva tried to explain.

"Daddy does get sick sometimes, but I take care of him." Tali smiled.

Ziva was so proud of her daughter. Tali had Tony's loving and caring heart.

"It is a little different this time. Daddy will have to stay in the hospital until he gets better." Ziva tried to hold back tears, knowing the truth.

"When will he be able to come home?" Tali innocently asked.

"That I am not sure of. But he is supposed to video call us in the morning. So how about we get you ready for bed so you will look your best for Daddy?" Ziva encouraged.

Tali ran down the hall to her bedroom to grab her things for her nightly bath.

"Miss Ziva, how is Mr. Tony really?" Tony's nanny Rose asked.

Ziva ran her fingers through her hair before she rubbed a hand over her tired face.

"He has coronavirus. Given his scarred lungs from the plague many years ago, his chances are slim to none." Ziva tried to hold it together.

She had seen a time where her friends had been killed and she had not shed a tear, but this was different. This was Tony, the father to their daughter.

"Miss Ziva, I am so sorry." Rose said.

"I am just not sure how I am going to explain it to Tali when something happens to him." Ziva said wiping tears from her eyes.

"You will find a way." Rose said, "In the meantime, get some rest and I will give Miss Tali her bath and put her to bed."

The next morning, Ziva found herself waking up on Tony's couch. She started to panic. She didn't let her rehab center know she was going to be spending the night somewhere else. Rose was making coffee and breakfast when Ziva stumbled into the kitchen.

"Good morning Miss Ziva. I called your center last night and told them you would be staying here. I also told them about Mr. Tony. They said to take as much time as you need, just to keep them updated." Rose explained as she sat down a coffee cup in front of Ziva and poured her coffee.

"You are a life saver Rose!" Ziva said as she took a sip of her coffee.

Rose smiled. She had heard the same phrase from Tony at least 10 times a week. Tali came into the kitchen with her hair sticking up and pj's still on. Ziva had to laugh, Tali was Tony's daughter. Her hair looked like his in the mornings sticking up like a porcuswine. No that wasn't the word. Tony would know what it was.

"Miss Tali, you need to get dressed. You have online school in 15 minutes." Rose said.

"I don't want to do school today. I want to see Daddy." Tali crossed her arms.

Ziva looked at Rose.

"Alright, but after you see your daddy then it is straight into the office to do your school work. Understood?" Ziva demanded.

"Yes Ima." Tali smirked.

Around 9 a.m. Ziva's phone started buzzing. She picked it up and it was a video call from American Hospital of Paris. She answered quickly. She was prepared to see Tony, but instead was greeted by a nurse.

"Hello, you must be Ziva David." The nurse said.

"I am." Ziva answered.

"I'm Jessica, one of Mr. DiNozzo's nurses in the ICU." The nurse explained.

"How is he doing?" Ziva asked.

"For now he is stable. A little sleepy. Would you like to speak with him?" Jessica asked.

"Yes let me get our daughter." Ziva said carrying the phone with her into Tali's room.

"Are you ready to see your daddy?" Ziva asked, earning her a mega watt DiNozzo smile that compared to one of Tony's.

"Ok nurse Jessica, we are here." Ziva said back into the phone.

A moment later Tony's face popped up on the screen. He was pale against the stark white sheets. He had on a nasal cannula to help give him some extra oxygen.

"There's my girls." Tony said as he saw his daughter's cheery face.

"How are you feeling?" Ziva asked.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." Tony said before having to cough.

"Daddy, you got hit by a truck?" Tali asked

"No baby, it is just a saying. What I mean is I have felt better than I do right now." Tony explained.

"What is that thing in your nose?" Tali questioned.

"It is to help Daddy not cough as much." Tony tried to explain, not sure exactly how to make Tali understand.

"When are you coming home?" Tali asked.

"As soon as I get better, which I hope is soon." Tony smiled.

He was met with a smile that matched his. "I hope so too, Daddy."

"Ok Tali, you need to go and do your school work." Ziva said, she too wanted to talk to Tony.

Tali jumped off her twin size bed and headed into the office. Ziva put in her headphones before talking to Tony.

"How are you really doing?" Ziva questioned.

Tony ran a hand over his jaw.

"Honestly, I'm scared. The oxygen is helping a little but I am still having trouble breathing." Tony said with tears in his eyes.

"You are going to be ok. The doctors and nurses are going to make sure of it." Ziva noticed that Tony was starting to get a little groggy. "I will let you sleep for now, but you continue to fight. Tali needs you."

With that Ziva thanked the nurse and ended the call. She didn't know what she would do if she lost Tony.


	4. Chapter 4

As Tony slept, he saw Kate and Jenny again, this time sitting in chairs beside his hospital bed.

"You need to get things in order." Kate reminded him.

"Ok but exactly what are you talking about, Kate?" Tony questioned.

"You need to take care of Tali." Jenny said.

"How the hell am I supposed to take care of her when I am in the damn hospital?" Tony shouted.

"You know what you have to do. You can do it when you're awake." Jenny said.

Tony was awakened by a harsh coughing fit.

"Take it easy, Mr. DiNozzo." Nurse Jessica said as she came in to check on Tony.

As the coughing subsided, Tony had a request.

"I need to make one more video call."

"Alright. Who are we calling?" Jessica asked getting the tablet ready.

"Dr. James Palmer at NCIS. He is the medical examiner." Tony explained.

Nurse Jessica stopped what she was doing.

"Mr. DiNozzo, you are sick; but you don't need an autopsy done right away." Jessica said.

"No, no... Jimmy is an old friend of mine. We go way back when I was a special agent for NCIS. I need to talk to him. I would like to have him as my medical proxy and next of kin." Tony said.

"Do you not want Ms. David called if your condition worsens?" Jessica asked leaving out the 'when.'

"I don't want to bother her. She has enough on her plate taking care of our daughter, Tali. Not to mention they were both exposed to the virus thanks to me. God if they caught it too, I don't know what I would do. Tali is so young. I couldn't handle losing her." Tony sobbed. "If things go south, Jimmy can tell Ziva."

"As you wish." Jessica said as she gave Tony the tablet to facetime his friend. Tony took a moment to gain his composure before making the call.

A few moments later a bright and cheery young man with round glasses and scrubs on popped up on the screen.

"Tony?" Jimmy asked.

"Hey Autopsy Gremlin." Tony smiled.

"I hate to ask but... why are you calling me from a hospital?" Jimmy held his breath.

"I have the coronavirus Jimmy." Tony sighed.

There was the blow Jimmy was hoping he wasn't going to get.

"Tony, I am so sorry. How are Tali and Ziva handling it?" Jimmy questioned.

"Tali doesn't know. She just thinks I'm sick and will be coming home. Ziva and I both know the truth. If Ziva is taking it hard, she isn't showing it." Tony answered.

"Do you want me to let the team know what is going on?" Jimmy asked.

"It's up to you. I don't think anyone past you would care anyway. Maybe McGee but that's pushing it." Tony knew that Gibbs didn't care; he had proven that.

Before Jimmy could try and say that more people cared, Tony cut him off.

"The real reason I called you was I need a favor." Tony bit his lip.

"Sure, anything Tony!" Jimmy answered.

"I need you to be my next of kin and my medical proxy." Tony said.

"Ok..."

"When things go south I want you to be the one to make the decisions. I have already told the hospital that I want you to be the one to tell Ziva any of my medical information. But promise me, if they have to put me on a ventilator, only do it for 2 weeks. If I haven't shown any signs of improving at the end of those 2 weeks; let me go." Tony said with tears in his eyes.

"Tony are you sure?" Jimmy said wiping his own tears.

"I don't want to live on machines. I don't want to just be a body in a bed. There are a few more things. I will have my nanny Rose fax over my burial plan to Breena. I already have everything picked out and paid for. My biggest request though is... will you please take Tali and adopt her?" Tony said as tears streamed down his face.

"Tony, I can't do that. A girl needs to be with her mother." Jimmy replied.

"I may be wrong, but if Ziva can not handle raising Tali, please promise me that you will take her and raise her as your own daughter. Just please don't let her forget about me." Tony cried.

"Of course Tony. I would be honored to have her in our family. There is no way I would have her forget about you." Jimmy cried as well.

"Thanks Palmer." Tony said before hanging up the call.

Tony saw Kate and Jenny in the corner.

"You are doing the right thing." Kate encouraged.

"Now for you to finish things... time is getting short." Jenny said.

With what little bit of strength he had left, Tony called his attorney to make Jimmy his Power of Attorney, draw up papers for Jimmy and Breena to take custody of Tali and adopt her if Ziva heaven forbid caught covid-19 too and wasn't around to raise her, and a living will drawn up, documenting his wishes to have a Do Not Rescuitate order put in place if and when this virus overtook his body.


	5. Chapter 5

Ziva was relieved when a few days later Tali, the nanny, and her own Covid tests came back negative. She worried about Tony every day. Tali was constantly asking when her daddy was coming home. She would call the hospital and the nurses would tell her that Tony was holding his own. But something told her they weren't telling her everything.

It was around lunchtime when Jimmy called Ziva.

"Jimmy, didn't think I would be hearing from you." Ziva said answering the phone.

"Ziva, we need to talk." Jimmy tried to keep his composure.

"Ok…" Ziva answered.

"Tony has taken a turn for the worse this morning. His blood pressure bottomed out and he started going into respiratory distress. They were able to stabilize him, but they are talking about putting him on life support if things continue to worsen." Jimmy explained.

Ziva was perplexed.

"I don't understand. I just talked to the hospital this morning and they told me he was holding his own." Ziva questioned

Jimmy took a deep breath.

"The nurses are trained to tell the good. I spoke to his doctor. They believe his body isn't absorbing oxygen or nutrients. They want to put him on a ng-tube as well as a ventilator."

"Please keep me updated on his status." Ziva said. She reached over and hugged one of Tony's couch pillows.

Tony was faced with the difficult decision. He decided he would allow himself to be put on the ventilator, but first he wanted to say his goodbyes.

The nurse brought in the iPad and facetimed Ziva for Tony.

"Here you go Mr. DiNozzo." The nurse said as she placed the ipad on Tony's hospital tray.

He was still wearing his oxygen mask but had taken it off the moment the call connected.

"Daddy!" Tali smiled.

"Hey…baby girl." Tony gasped out.

"You're getting better? You're coming home soon?" Tali asked.

"Sweetheart, Daddy is fighting very hard but is very sick. I just want you to know that I am very proud of you and love you very much." Tony said with tears in his eyes.

"I love you Daddy." Tali blew him a kiss.

Tony, being the dad he was, caught the kiss.

"I will hold on to that sweet girl." Tony smiled.

Tony's face turned somber as he started having difficulty breathing. He knew his time was short.

"Ziva, thank you for being a great friend all these years. I just wish I could have a goodbye kiss."

"Tony, don't talk like that. They are going to put you on the vent for a little while until your lungs get stronger and then you will come through this with flying colors. You will be back home with Tali and I in no time." Ziva said trying to keep her emotions in check.

"I wish I could beat the odds this time. I love you Zee. I always have." Tony said. He started gasping and the nurse put his oxygen back on him. His oxygen level was dropping.

"Ms. David, we need to intubate him now before we lose him." the nurse said.

"I love you Tony." Ziva said with tears streaming down her face.

"Goodbye Tali. Bye Zee." Tony gasped out.

The nurse ended the call.

"Are you ready to do this Mr. DiNozzo?" the nurse asked.

"I'm sorry I am so emotional. My daughter is only six and I won't be able to see her grow up." Tony cried. "Let's do this."

As the medical team sedated Tony and put him on the ventilator, it broke their hearts seeing tears slip from his eyes as he went under.


	6. Chapter 6

Jimmy stood in autopsy quietly working when Gibbs entered. Gibbs knew something was off. Jimmy had picked up the habit of talking to his guests from Ducky, so to not hear Palmer’s voice was off. Gibbs studied Jimmy’s face for a moment. There was something not right. The young man had a look of sorrow on his face. Gibbs’s gut had been telling him something was wrong, but he didn’t listen to it. All his team was perfectly fine and upstairs in the squad room.

“Do you have something for me, Palmer?” Gibbs barked.

Jimmy looked up, almost as if he was just realizing Gibbs was even in the room.

“Oh, sorry Agent Gibbs, I guess I was deep in thought.” Jimmy sighed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Gibbs face softened as he put his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder.

Jimmy shook his head. “It is a personal problem that I have to work through; it’s no big deal.”

Gibbs didn’t like that answer but took it.

“If you need to tell me something, I’m here. I know I don’t look like the most approachable guy, but I have been married before. If you and Breena are having problems…” Gibbs said.

“It isn’t Breena. Our marriage is as strong as ever. But let me ask you something Gibbs. If say Fornell asked you to do something that could mean the matter of his life or death, would you be able to do it without any regrets?” Jimmy asked.

“Depending on what it was, yeah. We have always had each other’s backs.” Gibbs answered.

“Thanks Agent Gibbs. That makes me feel a lot better.” Jimmy replied with a sad smile.

“Are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me?” Gibbs questioned.

Jimmy shook his head. “Just a family friend had asked me to do something for him and I am wondering if I made the right decision.”

There wasn’t a moment that went by that Jimmy wasn’t thinking of his friend lying in the ICU in Paris, fighting for his life. And fighting is exactly what he was doing... Tony wasn’t absorbing the oxygen or nutrients being given to him. Even though he had an NG tube and the ventilator settings were being turned higher every day, it was though his body wasn’t wanting to accept the help. Tony was too weak to hold his own and his body was giving up. The ICU team was fighting right alongside Tony as they tried to keep his heart rate up and his fever down.

Everyday Jimmy would call Ziva with the latest update from the hospital. He wondered how little Tali was handling all this. She was such a Daddy’s girl.

Almost a week and a half after Tony was put on the ventilator, Jimmy received a call. Anytime the phone number to the hospital popped up, his heart dropped. It was one thing for him to call the hospital, but for the hospital to call him was different. He sat down at Ducky’s old desk and prepared for the worst.

“Good afternoon. Is this Dr. Palmer?” A male voice came over the phone.

“Yes it is.” Jimmy held his breath.

“I’m Dr. Matthew Ryan and I have been taking care of Mr. DiNozzo. I just wanted to call and tell you what was going on. Overnight Mr. DiNozzo had a major stroke. We have him on blood thinners to prevent another stroke or a heart attack. We are still fighting his fever. Every time we think we have his fever down, it spikes again. We have been proning Mr. DiNozzo and trying to suction out the liquid in his lungs, but we have found that his lungs are bleeding. We have him on a blood transfusion now. We are still hoping that the antibodies or plasma treatment will take hold and he will start showing signs of improvement, but it seems as though everyday he is getting worse. If he pulls through this, he will have major brain damage. I am willing to say he would show significant mental damage , even to the point of remaining in a persistent vegetative state the rest of his life. He will never be able to independently take care of himself again.” Dr. Ryan explained.

“Is there anyway his partner or daughter can go and see him? Would that help in his treatment?” Jimmy inquired, grasping at straws.

“Unfortunately, no. It is against our hospital policy to have visitors come in and see our Covid patients.” Dr. Ryan said.

“So, what do we do now?” Jimmy choked out.

“We hope that he starts to show some signs of improvement. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I don’t want to be a downer either. But I would say start getting plans together if they aren’t already.” Dr. Ryan sighed.

Jimmy thanked the doctor and hung up. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to Ziva... to tell her Tony could still die but if he doesn’t, he won’t be the Tony they all knew and loved. He would just be a shell of who he previously was. Jimmy remembered back to what Tony had told him before he ever went on the vent. He wanted to be able to live his life, not be a body in a bed. Jimmy shook his head. It seemed that now the only two options for Tony was being a body in a bed or a body in a casket.


End file.
